ASU hockey using new arena to earn respect in college hockey world
All Arizona State hockey head coach Greg Powers can ask of his players is to remain focused on the upcoming game.
With the clock ticking down in the single digits to the team’s first game at its new home facility, Mullett Arena, there’s a considerable buzz around practice.
It could be hard to not be swept away from the grandiose of the $140 million arena. Especially knowing the program’s origins at Oceanside Ice Arena, which opened in 1974 and holds 747 people. ASU made a massive leap forward in its facilities and the players were finally able to reap the benefits this week.
“When you go from Oceanside to this, it’s definitely quite the experience,” ASU captain Josh Doan said. “Our locker room is bigger than the whole facility we had there at Oceanside. It catches you by awe, but now we’ve got our work. We got our experience in.”
Welcome to the Mullett era. pic.twitter.com/cGAbHAob5h
— Jenna Ortiz (@jennarortiz) October 11, 2022
ASU will host Colgate on Oct. 14-15 for its home opener, with both games at 7 p.m. ASU endured a 10-day road trip in Minnesota with a 1-3 record against No. 4 Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State to start the season.
By the time ASU returned to Tempe, the arena was waiting for them to be the first to take strides on the new ice. The Sun Devils had already bid farewell to Oceanside before its road trip as Powers wanted his team to break in their new home quickly.
Why Mullett? Arizona State's new sports facility gets its name
Goodbye to Oceanside: Sun Devil ice hockey leaves behind home rink for good
“Everything continues to be a ‘pinch me’ moment,” Powers said. “Coming here (Monday) really is the most special moment so far. We came back from a 10-day long road trip and seeing these guys and their faces when we walked in here, they saw it as a team for the first time. It was surreal. That’s what this is all about. These guys on the ice right now.”
While Oceanside gave ASU the advantage of fans being closer to the ice than other facilities, Mullett Arena will give the team a chance to hear more of its fans. The student section features a capacity of 942 people, an appropriate nod to the 942 Crew, the official student section at ASU.
The team has seen what the student section has done for other programs on campus and is ready to see what happens in a larger space.
“At Oceanside, a lot of them got turned away just because of the space issues and now that’s not going to happen,” ASU alternate captain Demetrios Koumontzis said. “To know that your student body is behind you, that’s a truly special feeling.”
A new facility gives ASU a chance to solidify its status amongst other NCAA programs. ASU has past success with an NCAA tournament appearance in 2019, but it was still overlooked against other programs.
In the past, ASU had lost out on recruits who sought out programs with nicer facilities.
"Our team never really got that respect that other schools get and now it’s up to us to prove that. That starts this Friday," Koumontzis said.
New neighbors: Arizona Coyotes enter 2022-23 season feeling ahead of last year
ASU hockey's Mullet Arena
Previous home: Oceanside Ice Arena
Capacity: 5,000
Size: 185,000 square-feet
Facility operator: Oak View Group
Cost: $140 million
Ticketing: Ticketmaster
By the numbers
21 — Months the project took. Construction dealt with pandemic-related issues, but was completed seven weeks ahead of schedule.
942 — Seats in the student section, a nod to ASU's official student section, 942 Crew.
24 — Home games that ASU will play at Mullett Arena, including the return of the Desert Hockey Classic on Jan. 6-7.
8 — Additional locker rooms between the main arena and the community ice sheet that can be utilized for visiting teams, youth programs, ASU club programs, and live events. The ongoing construction of the Annex will add two more locker rooms.
Reach the reporter at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com or 602-647-4122. Follow her on Twitter @jennarortiz.
Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What Arizona State hockey players are saying about Mullett Arena
